Tyler Philippi

Minnesota

Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP
2200 IDS Center
80 South Eighth Street
Minneapolis, MN 55402

Tel: (612) 977-8643

Email: tphilippi@taftlaw.com
Web: www.taftlaw.com

Professional Biography

Tyler focuses his practice on providing advice related to qualified retirement plans, group health plans, and other benefits provided to employees under multi-employer and single-employer plans. Tyler works with clients to address their compliance with a variety of federal laws and regulatory requirements, including:

  • ERISA
  • Internal Revenue Code
  • Taft-Hartley
  • PPACA
  • HIPAA
  • COBRA

Tyler began his career as an Investigator with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) in its Chicago Regional Office.

Representative Experience

  • Counsel to multi-employer benefit plans, including self-funded welfare plans, traditional and variable annuity pension plans, defined contribution plans, vacation benefit plans, and supplemental unemployment benefit plans
  • Advises clients regarding various issues, including transactional structures that satisfy the QPAM exemption, investment considerations under the Plan Asset Regulation, employer withdrawal disputes and funding obligations, and VEBA participation limitations for non-bargaining unit employees
  • Negotiates and drafts service agreements between multi-employer benefit plans and pharmacy benefit managers, third-party administrators, investment managers, advisers and consultants
  • Represents employee benefit plans in DOL inquiries, investigations, and audits
  • Drafted a variable annuity pension plan for multi-employer pension fund
  • Conducted audits of employee retirement and welfare plans as an Investigator for the EBSA
  • Reviewed and approved plans’ Voluntary Fiduciary Correction Program (VFCP) applications as a Student Investigator for the EBSA

Education

  • University of Illinois Chicago School of Law (2010)
  • UIC John Marshall Law School (2011) – LL.M. – Employee Benefits – With Honors
  • Lake Forest College (2003) – B.A.

Every business knows that a happy and healthy employee is a productive employee. In today’s market, competitive benefits and compensation are essential for attracting and retaining top talent. Designing, implementing, and administering these programs can be complex and time-consuming.

Our employee benefits team is at the forefront of the field, delivering clear, insightful, and proficient legal advice to structure and manage all forms of employee benefit plans. We work with publicly traded and private companies of all sizes across various industries, as well as governmental and tax-exempt organizations, providing extensive guidance on planning, designing, structuring, administering, and ensuring compliance with:

  • Qualified retirement plans
  • Nonqualified deferred compensation plans
  • Health and welfare benefit plans
  • Fringe benefits
  • Severance plans
  • Executive compensation agreements
  • Various equity and phantom equity arrangements

We represent clients in dealings with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS),  the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), and the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) during audits and voluntary compliance correction programs. Additionally, we provide education and advice to fiduciaries on their obligations under ERISA and state laws.

At Taft, we work as one team, driven and committed to helping you succeed. Our attorneys listen and understand that innovative, value-creating solutions help our clients reach their goals. Our collaborative approach, advanced technological resources, and depth of services can transform what you expect from your legal team. Founded in 1885 with an unwavering commitment to client service, our focus remains firm: to deliver innovative and results-oriented legal solutions.

Taft also offers government affairs consulting through its affiliate Taft Advisors. Taft Advisors is a bipartisan, diverse, and experienced governmental affairs consulting firm specializing in client advocacy before federal, state, and local governments. We design strategies and implement solutions ranging from complex, federal, multi-year authorizations in Congress to municipal policy development.